Officers and men of the Nigerian Hunters and Forest Security Service (NHFSS), over the weekend, invaded kidnappers’ hideouts in Kogi and Kebbi States as well as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. They also rescued victims, apprehended suspects and handed them over to the police.

In Kabba Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State, the operatives arrested two notorious kidnappers identified as Sank and Ali, who have been terrorising the area.

Addressing the media on Saturday, the Caretaker Committee Chairman of Kabba Bunu LGA, Zacchaeus Dare, disclosed that the two suspects were arrested on Friday by the NHFSS officers in the local government, popularly called Yanbanga.

He vowed that bandits, kidnappers and other criminals, would be flushed out of the area no matter their hideout. He noted that no matter the number of criminals that are living and entering the local government, none would escape the long arms of the law.

“It will no longer be business as usual. We will make life unbearable for all criminal elements terrorising our local government. Let me reiterate here that, no matter their hiding place, we will smoke them out. Our campaign of zero tolerance for criminality is on course in Kabba Bunu Local Government. If they come in hundreds, they will leave in zero,” he assured.

He called on members of the public to always provide information that would lead to the arrest of other criminals causing havoc in the society.

In Kebbi State, the NHFSS operatives rescued a woman and her two children from the forest after the husband was killed by bandits.

They were taken into the forest after the husband was killed because she refused to marry a member of the bandits.

The state commander of the NFHSS, Ambassador Musa Hussein Rambo, while addressing journalists at the press centre in Government House, Birnin Kebbi, said the woman and her children were discovered in the forest between Fakai and Koko area of the state.

“She narrated to us how her husband was killed because she refused to marry a member of the gang. Luckily, we were able to apprehend the gang member who wanted to marry her forcefully in the forest,” he said.

He added that they also discovered the decomposing body of another woman, and several graves where some kidnapped victims were buried in the forest. He add that the NHFSS members had been working with other security agents to tackle banditry and other criminalities in the state.

He called on the president and leadership of the National Assembly to ensure that their enabling bill, which he said had gone through the legislative proceedings, was signed into law.

The Kebbi State Police Command is yet to respond to the development.

Also on Sunday, operatives of the NHFSS, invaded an uncompleted building used as hideout by kidnappers at Sauka community along Airport Road, Abuja.

The NHFSS operatives rescued the kidnapped victim identified as Suleiman Sabo.

During the operation, a 32 year-old suspect from Kogi State, Muhammad Abel, was apprehended by the operatives.

The rescued victim and the arrested suspect, were later handed over to the Police by officers of the NHFSS. (Daily Sun: Text, Excluding Headline)

•Amb (Dr.) Joshua Wole Osatimehin, Commander General, Nigerian Hunter & Forest Security Service

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